Cookie Capers Ep. 101: Say Hello To My Grandbeauties!

They’ve been begging me to do it, so here we are and here it is! A blog series dedicated to my wonderful grandbeauties, Gianna Rose (2 years and 4 months) and Kamari Michael aka “Cheeseburger Jones” (4 months).

And why the name “Cheeseburger Jones”? No reason. It’s not his last name. He looked at me with this huge smile as I was kissing him one day, and that name popped into my head. Now we all jokingly call him that. Even Gianna, who chants it like I do when I make him smile and laugh.

“Cheeseburger Jonnnnnnnnnes…”
“Cheeseburger Jonnnnnnnnnes…”

First, you should know that these two aren’t siblings, but rather 1st cousins, products of my first and third-born sons, Kenny Jr. (with Nikki Steffensmeier) and Brandon (with Kira Flenory). And since they are two years apart and live within a few miles of each other, grandma and grandpa get to experience their most enjoyable moments, live and in living color….

For those of you who have raised your own children or spent any continuous/extensive time with someone else’s, you know that their evolution comes jam-packed with adorable moments. This is why those smartphones stay ready to photograph or video capture any and everything at a moment’s notice. But even if they don’t get that digital memory, there’s always someone who can play the village griot and narrate those wonderful “you had to be there” moments.

That is why I’ve finally decided to start the Cookie Capers series, funny tales from the adventures of Gianna, whom I affectionately call my “warm, peanut butter cookie,” and Kamari, my “oatmeal raisin cookie”.

Now for anyone whose known me since childhood (especially you girls who needed papers typed for you back in college), you should remember that those two were my favorite cookies, in that order, and also the way to my heart, like these two familial treasures.

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So stick around as I share their little (and big) moments in yet another ZootsBlogSpot series. Funny or serious, I’m sure you’ll enjoy the memories as they create them with or without good old RoboPopPop (aptly named after my knee replacements and other surgeries. Like Obi-Wan Kenobi said, I’m becoming “more machine than man”).

That, in itself, was very difficult for me to explain when Gianna ran her finger along the scar of my replaced knee. She asked, “What’s this, Grandpa?” in her adorable little voice. The question then was whether I should create an answer that she could understand or tell her the truth, which would only confuse her even more, prompting more questions.

Grandpa had an “Owie,” I replied, pointing to the tiny red hairline scratch on her right index finger from whatever activity she had been in. She held her hand up to show me her scratch and said, “I’m ok.”

“So am I,” I replied, standing and flexing the knee as proof of my claim.

“That’s a BIG ‘owie’ Grandpa,” she observed. “Sit down, Grandpa. You’re not ok.”

So, I sat, figuring that maybe she was ready for a little more detailed explanation than I gave her credit for.

I was so glad she hadn’t noticed my other knee, which contained a similar post-surgical 5″-6″ scar in the same location. She probably would have put me out to pasture.

Of course, Kamara just lay in my arms, looking at me with indifference. I guess he would have been cool with me being a proverbial cow. It’s all about the milk to him anyway. If he had known how, I’m sure he would have just shrugged his wide, future football-playing shoulders with that “What are you looking at ME for? I’m just a baby!” face.

Anyway, let the adventures begin.

Or maybe I should say, “Let the Davis Family Adventures continue…”

More Cookie Capers on the way!

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